Abstract

People living with HIV (PLWHIV) can reasonably expect near-normal longevity, yet many express a willingness to assume
significant risks to be cured. We surveyed 200 PLWHIV who were stable on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to quantify
associations between the benefits they anticipate from a cure and their risk tolerance for curative treatments. Sixty-five
per cent expected their health to improve if cured of HIV, 41% predicted the virus would stop responding to medications
over the next 20 years and 54% predicted experiencing serious medication side effects in the next 20 years. Respondents’
willingness to risk death for a cure varied widely (median 10%, 75th percentile 50%). In multivariate analyses, willingness
to risk death was associated with expected long-term side effects of ART, greater financial resources and being employed
(all P < 0.05) but was not associated with perceptions of how their health would improve if cured.

People living with HIV (PLWHIV) can reasonably expect near-normal longevity, yet many express a willingness to assume
significant risks to be cured. We surveyed 200 PLWHIV who were stable on antiretroviral therapy (ART) to quantify
associations between the benefits they anticipate from a cure and their risk tolerance for curative treatments. Sixty-five
per cent expected their health to improve if cured of HIV, 41% predicted the virus would stop responding to medications
over the next 20 years and 54% predicted experiencing serious medication side effects in the next 20 years. Respondents’
willingness to risk death for a cure varied widely (median 10%, 75th percentile 50%). In multivariate analyses, willingness
to risk death was associated with expected long-term side effects of ART, greater financial resources and being employed
(all P < 0.05) but was not associated with perceptions of how their health would improve if cured.